The big demon looked bewildered, then its eyes turned cold as it stared at Jiang Xiaobai, “Kid, you had a good sleep, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I haven’t slept this comfortably in a long time!” Jiang Xiaobai responded instinctively.

But when he felt a chill, he realized something.

Looking up, he saw the big demon’s gaze filled with murderous intent staring at him.

Under the big demon’s gaze, Jiang Xiaobai felt a chill from head to toe, the discomfort making his chest ache again.

In truth, he hadn’t intended to fall asleep.

It was just that during the breathing process, feeling nothing at all, fatigue overwhelmed him, and he naturally fell asleep sitting there.

Of course, this was also due to his inherently weak constitution.

“Are you playing me?” The big demon’s voice carried anger.

“Playing you?” Jiang Xiaobai’s brain spun rapidly, then he angrily retorted, “Heh, I’m not playing you. If anything, you’re half responsible for me sleeping so soundly!”

“Me?” The big demon’s gaze sharpened.

“Yes!” Jiang Xiaobai coldly said, “I’ve been weak since childhood, easily disturbed by the slightest noise, often waking up in the middle of the night!”

“What does that have to do with me?” The big demon asked coldly.

“Heh, you still have the face to ask?” Jiang Xiaobai looked at the big demon, his voice cold, “With your majestic presence soaring through the clouds, dominating mountains and rivers!”

“If it weren’t for your towering stature and heroic temperament giving me a strong sense of security for the first time, would I have fallen asleep?”

“So!” Jiang Xiaobai took a deep breath and angrily said, “Do you dare say you’re not responsible?!”

The big demon’s gaze softened, flickered, and finally, it sighed, “Indeed, I am responsible!”

Jiang Xiaobai, noticing this, found the big demon’s reaction peculiar; was it really falling for this?

At this moment, the big demon slowly spoke, “The first attempt at sensing spiritual power is always difficult. Even those with better aptitude need at least half a month to touch upon it!”

“Those with poorer aptitude might need half a year, or even a year!”

“Enough, I will help you this time, but… not as a precedent!”

After saying this, the big demon closed its eyes.

Jiang Xiaobai then felt a powerful surge of energy. As the big demon opened its mouth, a pearl emitting white light floated up.

“This is my Nascent Soul. With its help, you can skip the sensing stage and directly enter the Qi Refinement stage, but there’s a downside!”

Here, the big demon paused, then continued, “You will endure great pain during this period.”

“Sit properly in meditation, breathe well, and how long you can endure depends on your own fortune and will!”

Under the big demon’s guidance, Jiang Xiaobai sat down in meditation.

A warmth then enveloped him.

Jiang Xiaobai looked up.

He saw the Nascent Soul floating above his head, but he didn’t feel any pain.

Confused, he didn’t hesitate and began to breathe according to the first level of Qi Refinement.

He knew this was a rare opportunity.

Little did he know…

This chance was not just rare, but extremely uncommon.

If the old sage of the Confucian and Sword sects saw this, his eyes would pop out.

Watching Jiang Xiaobai diligently practice breathing, the big demon lay on the side, its gaze still flickering.

Soaring valiantly among the clouds, traversing mountains and rivers with grandeur!

Damn it, those little words made its blood boil.

Had it not forcibly restrained itself, it might have roared out loud.

Thankfully, it had held back.

Moreover, for some reason, it felt somewhat glad it hadn’t killed this human.

After all, facing someone who admired it so much, if it had really killed him, it would have felt guilty.

Jiang Xiaobai was unaware of the big demon’s thoughts.

At this moment, he was bathed under the Nascent Soul, and through breathing, he quickly felt a warm current inside his body.

It was because of this warm current that he began to feel pain.

The warm current was extremely domineering, rampaging through his body, making it feel as if his meridians were being forcibly torn apart by this force.

Jiang Xiaobai couldn’t suppress his trembling. In just a short moment, large beads of sweat poured down. As the warm currents increased, the pain multiplied, visibly intensifying the trembling of his body. He wanted to give up, but remembering this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he chose to endure.

The big demon watched coldly from the side. It had estimated that Jiang Xiaobai wouldn’t last a quarter of an hour before giving up. A quarter of an hour would have been enough for Jiang Xiaobai to sense the spiritual energy. However, as time passed, the big demon’s gaze began to change. Jiang Xiaobai not only lasted beyond a quarter of an hour but did so without a single moan, earning some respect from the demon.

As time stretched to half an hour and beyond, the big demon’s perspective shifted. Was this young man’s willpower that strong? Skeptically, it continued to watch. As one hour turned to two, and then three, the big demon’s gaze transformed completely, showing a hint of admiration. Jiang Xiaobai was indeed remarkable. The pain was exponentially increasing, and for Jiang Xiaobai to endure to this point was a testament to his astonishing willpower.

At this moment, Jiang Xiaobai held onto a single belief: he wanted to live.

Time seemed to stretch indefinitely. When the warm currents finally converged into a river and flowed toward his dantian as per the first layer’s instruction, the pain elicited his first moan. And when a stream as thick as a little finger expanded within his dantian, his reaction was almost hysterical. However, within less than three breaths, the pain vanished, his pores opened wide, and he was enveloped in a warm, comfortable sensation.

Lying there, drenched in sweat and gasping for air, occasionally coughing violently, time seemed irrelevant. When he finally regained his strength and opened his eyes, they sparkled with clarity. It was then he noticed the light of dawn. Feeling sticky and as if he had rolled in mud, accompanied by a pungent odor, he was also incredibly hungry. Remembering the Bigu Pill, he immediately swallowed one, which curiously alleviated his hunger.

“Heh, nearly four hours!” The big demon’s voice rang out coldly. “Under the nourishment of my Nascent Soul, you lasted four hours. If only your spiritual root were a bit better, you could have reached at least the first level of Qi Refinement by now. Such a pity…”

“Pity that, despite your notable soul root, your spiritual root is utterly mediocre, having only condensed a simple airflow, still far from the Qi cyclone of the first Qi Refinement level.” The demon had used at least thirty percent of its power, but Jiang Xiaobai had absorbed less than one ten-thousandth of it. After an entire night, he had only managed to condense an airflow.

Jiang Xiaobai, feeling awkward, curiously asked, “What exactly are spiritual roots and soul roots?”

“You don’t know?” The big demon seemed surprised. Hadn’t the old Confucian and Sword master mentioned this to Jiang Xiaobai? Although puzzled, the demon explained, “Spiritual roots represent your potential and talent for cultivation! Soul roots, generally acquired, represent your ability to comprehend the Dao!”

“A congenital soul root is very special, said to be born alongside the Dao, signifying a great talent. If it has an attribute, even more so…” Jiang Xiaobai nodded, only half understanding.

“I can feel your soul root; it’s very special and highly likely to possess an attribute,” the big demon said. “For details about the soul root, you might want to ask that old Confucian and Sword master. After all, we demons aren’t experts in this.”

Jiang Xiaobai, with nowhere to actually find the old master, had merely bluffed to impress the big demon.

“Alright, come closer and stretch out your hand,” the big demon instructed once more. Despite Jiang Xiaobai’s dantian only containing airflow, it was enough to attract spirit energy.

Approaching, Jiang Xiaobai extended his hand, and as the big demon’s claw touched his palm, he felt a sting, then watched as a pattern slowly formed in the center of his palm…